My doctor has put me on a new medication to help me sleep better through the night. It's called Ambien. I am supposed to take 10mg of it nightly for the next 14 days to see if it helps my sleep.

I took this last night, and within 30 minutes felt drugged, and almost zombie like. When I called today, he said these side effects were normal. I didn't like them, so I seriously think I will not be taking them anymore.

Good decision. Valerian is one of the herbs, I think, and it's usually taken with stress-reducing herbs. Camomile tea knocks me out. Regular exercise, every morning, helps to straighten out the body as well.

At the group home I work at, Ambien is prescribed quite a bit. The zombie-like effect that you mentioned is common, but short living.
Another sleep aid is Sonata...with less side effects.
If you want to go natural...please make sure that you are not taking any other meds that could interfere or counteract or even worsen the effects!

If the tea is not sufficient try melatonin (It is the substance Your body naturaly secretes at night fall to cause sleepiness.) You can find it at GNC.It's inexpensive & feels like You fell asleep on Your own. Don't be afraid to exceed the recomended dose;The manufacturers of over the counter drugs always err on the very safe side.Be cautious of course,but Your common sense is the only thing needed to adjust the dossage acoording to need. __________________________________________________ _ May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rain fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

The tea is working great! It made me relax, even after the news I got yesterday and I still got a good nights sleep! Another good thing, is even if I have to go in for surgery, I don't have to stop taking it as I would a medication. Great idea everyone and a much appreciated one at that!

Ambien works, but not without a lot of side effects. It has a rather extended effect so it is only good if you will be able to get a full 8 or more hours sleep. It also doesn't work for long-term insomnia, as you'll build up tolerance to it quickly.

However, I noticed the same problem with the herbal sleep aids - they don't work every night for long periods of time.